This is a short version of an article written by our very own founder, Tom Stone for MarketingWeek. Read the full article here.

From TVCs to TTCs? How TikTok trends are reinventing the world of TV ads for the Gen Z era.

In the last decade, broadcast TV consumption amongst Gen Z has plummeted by two-thirds. In comparison, the younger generation now spends an average of fifty-three minutes daily watching broadcast TV, while dedicating a whopping three hours to social media. Such statistics naturally provoke an important question: Why are we still invested in TV commercials (TVCs) when targeting the social media-savvy generation?

Interestingly, video remains a popular medium, with 66% of consumers preferring to learn about products or services this way. But here’s the twist: creative direction for these videos is now heavily influenced by trending TikTok phenomena. This shift has seen many brands move away from conventional TV placements, opting instead for video-on-demand (VOD) and video displays.

Moreover, the advertising realm is undergoing a revolution. Traditional ad agency structures are becoming obsolete, and the younger demographic’s purchasing behaviours are increasingly influenced by social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. For instance, the hashtag #tiktokmademebuyit boasts an astonishing 49.7 billion views on TikTok, highlighting the platform’s undeniable influence.

This trend is pushing brands to approach not the age-old advertising agencies, but creative content agencies that have expertise in the digital and social domain. Tom Stone of re:act, a leading creative content agency, observes, “Our strategies stem from a deep understanding of our client’s audiences. With Batiste, we tailored our content to resonate with social media users, incorporating styles we knew would succeed on TikTok.”

As the landscape of advertising undergoes this monumental shift, it might not be too long before ‘TikTok commercials’ (TTCs) overtake traditional TVCs. Only time will tell.